Fingertips
by Faulty Paragon
Summary: Sora has always admired Riku. Riku, on the other hand, has always just wanted freedom- and just a little bit of Sora, too. -Riku and Sora's moment of quiet contemplation upon the shores of the Realm of Darkness at the end of KHII, inspired by the "Don't Think Twice" music trailer for KHIII.


A/N: Lyrics to "Don't Think Twice" belong to the lovely Utada Hikaru. I cannot wait to hear it in its entirety.

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Fingertips

 _How did I live in a kingdom of thieves?_

Sometimes, he can't help but wonder.

The events that have led them to that place are almost comical in their tragedy, their weight. The sins he has committed in the past hang heavily upon his shoulders, his stomach forever knotted and nervous.

 _And people who say things they don't really mean, really mean?_

In the horizon, glowing brighter by the second, is a circle of light. It pulses, ebbing and flowing, synchronized with the tides on the shores of nothingness. It beats in time with his heart. He almost laughs at the irony.

He hadn't known what was going to happen when he said yes back then- what would change if he entered the darkness, voyaged into its depths. All he had wanted was to explore the worlds, to go past the sea- to see the universe beyond where the edges of their islands had confined them.

 _You're only everything I ever dreamed-_

"Light," he murmurs.

If only he had known that all the world ever really amounted to was brown, spiky hair- youthful innocence- love and energy and _light_ exuding from every pore- eyes as blue and wide and vast as the sea-

 _Ever dreamed of, ever dreamed of…_

-and yet, now he knew. All the world had ever really been to him- all he had wanted to protect, ever since he was naught but a little boy- was Sora.

"The door to light," Sora affirms, and Riku can't help but melt a little at how much deeper the other's voice has become.

The light is so strong that it casts a brilliantly pale spotlight upon Sora's face, and Riku's eyes eagerly take in every blink of his long lashes, every breath passing through parted lips. It adds an eerie sheen to his hair, but Riku finds his eyes more drawn to the glint of Sora's pendant.

Sora still wears it. Riku still remembers the moment he had picked it out for the younger, long, long ago.

The quietness of the moment grants him this reprieve without judgement, and for that, he is thankful.

He understands. He has hurt Sora, without question. He has turned the younger's life upside down, destroyed everything the brunet has ever known and loved- and yet, in this moment, Riku doesn't feel anger nor shame. The only thing in his heart is that strange quiet, a warmth bubbling up from the bottom that threatens to overflow.

 _You must be kidding me- did you really think I could say no?_

Sora stands up. "We'll go together." The statement is so simple, so matter-of-fact, that Riku's expression almost crumbles on the spot. Riku's eyes travel to the offered hand held open in front of him, then up a lean arm, to the smile that is too hopeful to bear.

He holds it together- just barely. "Yeah," he breathes. And his hand is warm, wrapped around Sora's for just this one moment as the younger pulls him to his feet-

 _I want you for a lifetime, so if you're gonna think twice, baby_

-and his fingertips linger on the other boy's palm for a heartbeat, begging for the moment to last-

 _I don't wanna know, baby- I don't wanna know_

-because in this moment, everything- _this is everything-_

 _Everything is just right-_

Sora lets go once Riku is on his feet.

Riku lets out a quiet, shuddering gasp as Sora turns and smiles at Riku, and the light emanating from the door, shining behind the younger boy, envelops him, surrounding his outline in the purest halo. Even with his face in partial shadow, his eyes are the colour of _home,_ and every step Riku takes into the water is another step into the depths of Sora's gaze. His mouth is dry, palms clammy, and he feels himself nod. Sora wants to go _together._

 _-but if you're gonna think twice, baby- I don't wanna know, baby-_

His hands are warm, and just before the light takes over their vision and blinds them, he feels Sora's forehead press against his, and he leans into that touch, trembling from the contact. He knows- when this light fades, Sora will be apart from him, and their fingers won't link again.

 _-I don't wanna know…_


End file.
